Ice-machine.



H. D. 'rOWNALL.

ICE MACHINE.

A'PLICATION FILED 1124.1913. I 1,180,532. Patented Apr. 20, 191i).

a SHEEIS-SHEEI I.

H D. POWNALL.

IC". MACHINE.

FILED JAN.24.1HI'3.

APPLICATIO asuzns SHEET 2.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

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H. 0. PbwNALL.

ICE MACHINE.

APPucAnon mes mo. 24. mus.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916 3 SHEETSSHEEI 3.

u Mm TED Es PATENT 015F101).

HENRY D. ."POWNALL, 0F CANTON, OHIO.

ICE-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. HENRY D. POWNALL,

a citizen of the United States. residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in f Oneof its objects is to provide an im proved arrangement and combination of brine'stank, ice molds, and means for controlling the temperature of the brlne.

Another object is to provide improved means to secure pure and clear ice in ice molds permanently located in the brine tank.

Anotherobject'is to provide improved means vfor releas ng the [CG from the ice 'molds.

' Another object is to provide improved means and mechanism to supply air under pressure to the interior of the ice molds.

My invention further comprlses certain details of form, combination and arrangewhich will be fully set forth 'ment, all of in --the. description of the accompanying drawings. in which:

Figurcl is a diagram of a portion of an ice producing system in which a brine tank unit; is illustrated lnlfip plan, and a. compressor,condenser, and receiver in side eleof brine tank units.

ration. with their respective connections, and embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one'of the brine tank units on line 2 z of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a' vertical section through a portion of a brine tank unit on line '0 o of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 an enlarged sectional detail through a portionof the air supplyiconduit, being a section on line v a) of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail through one form of controlling valve for the air sup 1y. Fig. (I is a diagram similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the connection and use of a series The arcompany' 1g drawings represent the preferred embodiment of my invention, in which A represents an ice machine compressor, Brcpresents an ice machine condenser, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25,1916.

Application filed January 24, 1913. Serial No. 743,983.

ice producing mechanism. The respective brine tank units each comprise 'a brine tank having side Walls-and preferably a perforated bottom with ice molds E consisting of vertical sheet metal tubes located close to each other Within said tank and over the perforations in the bottom of the tank to which bottom said ice molds are detach-ably attached. The bottoms 2 of the ice molds are preferably located some distance above the bottom of the brine tank, so as to form chambers or recesses 3 beneath the bottoms of the ice molds.

H represents a header for each brine tank unit, which header is arranged tobe supplied either with liquid refrigerant from the receiver C through the pipe 4 and valve 5 or with heatedrefrigerant vapor led either from the compressor or the condenser through the valve controlled pipe 6.

rately controlled by expansion valves 7.

The header L serves to collect the retrigcr ant from the several coils K and to return i'tthrough pipe 8 to the compressor. By mounting the ice molds close together the brine containing capacity of the brine tank units is very small compared with the fresh water holding capacity of the ice molds, hence the brine during the freezing operation is capable of being maintained at a. practically uniform temperature throughout, and without the necessity of mechanically circulating the brine, although the brine may be agitated or circulated if desired. Also when it is desired to release the ice from the molds, after the freezing operation is complete, by the introduction of heated refrigerant through the pipe 6, the temperature of the entire body of brine in the brine tank upit may be raised in a relatively short period, so as to release all the blocks of ice in one unit at the same time so that they ,may be removed, and the ice molds refilled with fresh water for another freezing operation.

Before introducing brine into the brine tank units a material 9, such as pitch for instance, having heat insulating and water proofing qualities is introduced in a fluid or semi-fluid condition so as to occupy the space at the bottom of the brine tank units between the ice molds up to about the level of the bottoms of the ice molds. The material 9 upon becoming solid or practically solid forms nonconducting side walls for the recesses 3 and prevents the brine coming in contact with the side walls of said recesses, and further serves to seal all joints at the bottom of the tank against leakage of'brine.

I preferably provide for introducing air under pressure through or at the bottom of the ice molds in order that the fresh water may be agitated by bubbles of air rising through it during the freezing operation in order that air bubbles, silt, and other foreign matter may be detached from the face of the ice and prevented from being frozen into the block of ice. In order to insure a uniform supply of air to each ice mold, and to regulate or vary the pressure of the air supplied to meet the requirements an adjustable weight 19 to yieldingly hold the valve 16 to its seat. The pressure of the air against the under lie of the valve 16 lifts the valve from its seat to admitair to the header 1 through the V-shaped notches .20, while the air in the header 11 reacts upon the upper face of the valve through ports 20-"to variably assist the weight 19 in holding the valve to its seat, thus maintaining a substantially uniform air pr'es-.

sure within the header, which may be regulated to suit the conditions as freezing progresses and the volume of water to be agitated decreases by shifting the weight 19 along the lever 18.

The headers 11 are located abovethe level of the water in the ice molds, so that when the air supply to the headeis'ceases from of the gradually diminishing quantity of any cause the water cannot flow into and fill the headers 11. A series of independent branch pipes 21 lead from the headers 11 to positions beneath the respective ice molds where they are connected with connecting members 23 attached to the bottoms of the ice molds. In order t o' prevent foreign matter getting into and coagulating or accumulating and stopping up these branch'pipcs 21, and also to provide for a substantially even and reliable distribution of air to the several molds, and a control thereof, I provide nipples 24 above the water level threaded into the headers 11 preferably so that.

foreign matter capable of} stopping thebranch 'pipes. Regulating cocks 27 for the respective branch pipes 21 are located at the opposite ends of the nipples 24 above the level of the water in the ice molds, and provide for cutting off or decreasing the supply to any one of the branch pipes 21 should such regulation be necessary. The orifices 26 and cooks 27 providefor a substantially uniform pressure in and distribution of air to the respective pipes 21 and provide for the air driving the water out of the respective. branches 21 or finding a passage through said pipes and evenly and reliably distributing air to the several ice molds, arid also to cut oil the air supply to any one of the molds. WVhen the air pressure ceases, the water from the molds flows into and fills the branches 21 and 22 to a. point slightly below the cocks 27,. from whence it is returned to the ice moldswhen the blower is again put in operation.

in practice the ice molds may be filled with freshwater from the top, or they may be filled by means of permanent pipe connections, not shown, through the bottom of the molds. In practice when the freezing operation has progressed to about the point indicated in the two left' hand molds of Fig. 2, the water remaining unfrozen and containing the sediment and 1m untiesis removed, either from the top or ottom of the molds, and a fresh supply of either raw or distilled water is admitted, and the freezing operation continued until the center or core of the ice block becomes solid orpractieally all of the water therein has become solidified.

Fig. 6 illustrates the u of a series of brine tank units with th f ljonnections to one compressor and condeiislig, to rovide for the alternate freezing a'hdreleasmg operations as applied to each brine tank unit as a whole, and ivhich operations-may thus 4 be carried on throughout an entire refrig crating season without circulating brine to or from the'tank units or removing any of the ice molds, or disturbing the assembly relationsof tank unit components, and solely i by manipulation of the controllingvalves.

i scribed is capable of considerable 'modifica- The mechanism herein illustrated and detion without departing fromtheprinciple cooling medium, a plurality of icemolds located in said tank to be refrigerated through their side walls by.sa'id cooling medium, an air chamber to be supplied with air under pressure and located above the level of the water in said ice-molds, independent conduits from said chamber to discharge air to the lower portion of the .interior of said ice molds, and means located at points in said conduits above the level of the water in said ice molds to'limit the flow ofair from said air chamber to said ice molds.

2..In an apparatus to produce artificial ice, a tank to contain a non-congeahng coolmg medium, a plurality of ice moldslocated in said tank so as to be refrigerated through their side walls by said cooling medium, an

air chamber above the level of the water in said ice molds, separate pipe connections leadimg from said air chamber to the bottoms of said respective ice molds through openings in the bottom of said tank to supply air under pressure to said respective ice molds, each of said air pipes having a section of restricted cross sectional area located above the level of the water in said ire. molds to limit the quantity of air supplied to the respective ice molds.

5. in an ice machine, a tank to contain a non-congealing cooling medium, a plurality of ice molds located in sa id tank so as to be refrigerated through their side walls by said cooling medium, a chamber to supply air under pressure located above the level of the water in said ice'molds, independent conduits leading: from said air chamber to the bottom of said res 'icctive ice molds, through the bottom of said tank, and means located 'in said conduits above the level of the water we in said'molds tolimit-'the supply of air through said several conduits.

.tion of reduced area located-above the level ice molds. a. '5. 'In an icemachmeatapktdcontam a non-congealmg cool1ng-medium, a plurality with air under'pressure and located above 6 the level of the'water in said ice molds,independent conduits leading from-"said air chamber to the bottoms of said respectiveicemolds, said conduits each having a'sec of the Water in said'ice n glds to limit the flow of air from said air chamber to, said of ice molds located in said tank so as to-be refrigerated through their side walls by said cooling medium, a chamber to be supplied with air under pressure and located above the level of the water in'said ice molds, independent conduits leading from said air chamber to the bottoms'of said respective ice molds, and means to limit the low of air from said chamber to said ice molds located at points in said conduits above the level of 8 the water in said ice. molds.

'6. In an ice machine a tank to contain a non -congeali ngcooling medium, a plurality 'ofice molds locatedinfsaid tank so as to be refrigerated through their side walls by said cooling medium, a chamber to be supplied with air underp'ressure-and located above the level of the water in said ice molds, independent conduits leading from said air chamber to the bottoms of-said respective .ice molds, said conduits each having a secair chambeFs to the bottoms of the several 1 ice molds of their respective tanks-through i means to maintain substantially uniform,

but relatively diderent amounts of air pressure in said respective air chambers. 1

8. Inan ice machine, a tank to contain a non-congcaling cooling medium, a plurality of ice molds located in said tank so as to be refrigerated through their side walls by said cooling medium, an air supply chamber lo cated above th level of the water in said ice molds. conduits leading from said air chamher to the bottoms of said respective ice molds through the bottom of saidtank, and means to automatically maintain asubstanl tially uniform pressure of air in said chamher.

9. In an ice machine, a plurality of tanks each to contain a non-congcaling cooling meleading from said respective air chambers to diu'm, a plurality of ice molds located in the bottoms of the ice molds of their respecsaid respective tanks so as to berefrigeratcd tive tanks through the bottoms of said tanks.v through their side walls by said cooling me- In testimony whereof I have afiixed my 5 dium, separate air supply chambers for said signature in presence of two Witnesses.

respective tanks to receive air under pressure from a common source, controllable means HENRY POWNALL' to automatically supply air at substantially WVitnesses; uniform but relatively different pressures to URBAN A. WEBNET,

10 said respective air chambers, and conduits DAVID B. DAY. 

